Stress in grad school

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Specializes in Oncology.

I thought this would be a better place to write than the student's forum since you all have been through the entire picture already. I'm almost through with my 1st yr of NP school. Have completed patho, pharm and will take assessment this summer and start clinicals in fall.

I started school due to a near divorce which hasn't happened yet, but is potentially lurking around every corner. I've done well and gotten all A's while rasing 2 teens and working 2 12s a week.

I'm concerned because due to multiple additional life stressors that have happened over the past 2 mos, I am now nearly exhausted and several people, including one friend who is an instructor have told me that clincials are much more stressful.

Is this true? Did you find clinicals more difficult to live through than patho and pharm?

I'm hoping for less stress, so that I can hope my life will become more managable.

Thanks in advance,

Millie

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Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I would not say clinical was more stressful than course work, but in truth I did not find the course work itself especially stressful. I certainly found it busy/time consuming and being that busy, with many commitments, is certainly stressful. Clinic provides a different type of stress because it too takes time, one still needs to study of course, and there is an element of performance anxiety. I wouldn't worry about it. Just take it one day at a time.

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Specializes in Oncology.

Thanks, maybe you're right. Most of my problem comes from being a perfectionist. I would study most of the day on my off days, because I not only wanted to get good grades, but I also wanted to learn and retain as much as I could since I'd actually have to treat people some day, so I guess that's self imposed stress.

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Specializes in ICU, ER, OR, FNP.
Just take it one day at a time.

Good advice. Just make it a point to complete the 28 hours of obligations in every 24 hour period and one day you'll wake up headed to graduation. Time flies.

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I agree with 'one day at a time' and also would advise you to try and cut yourself some slack. When you finish your program and start interviewing for jobs NO ONE is going to ask you about your GPA or how many hours you studied. They want to see that you have what it takes to complete the program and earn the recommendations of your instructors and preceptors. Period.

Like most people I had some good clinical rotations and one that was just B-A-D. The bad one was stressful on a personal level due to personalities within the office and problems with a preceptor who decided she was too busy for a student AFTER I'd been there for a week and she had signed the contract. I made up my mind to dig my heels in and get through it - mostly to spite her! - and it worked.

You can do this. Your marriage is ending, your kids are growing up and you NEED this for yourself. Get it.

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I'm in NP school now, just finished my first semester of clinicals. I agree with the above posters who said the stress really comes from time management as opposed to the difficulty in courses. I'm the poster child for stress right now....full time school and full time mom to a 3 year old, 18 month old, and one on the way. You can do it, I promise!!! As for life being more manageable, just keep your eye on the prize...this chapter of your life will be over before you know it!!

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When I started clinical, I received some excellent advice from one of the providers which I will pass along to you: enjoy the luxury of being a student, no one else expects you to be good at this yet and you should allow yourself to be a learner. Take time to ask questions and be okay with making mistakes in a safe environment. (Did I actually take this advice? Not always, but felt much better when I did!) For me, the stress wasn't really working in the clinic, the stress came from having to take more time off from work to finish my hours. Best wishes to you in your endeavors. I just got hooded and it was so rewarding to see some pay-off on all that hard work.

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Clinicals are stressful in that it utilizes what you've learned in patho and pharm heavily. It not just focusing on one section of the body and one subject, but the integration of all the subjects you've learned so far and applying them. In school, you read about the disease process of diabetes, hypertension, etc. In pharm, you learn about anticholinergics, antipsychotics, etc. Now in clinicals, you have a patient with symptoms and you have to figure out what's wrong and what to do. It's more than just recalling. It's more stressful because now, you're doing the entire history and medical management and these are the skills you have to hone in on to prepare yourself for the job after graduation. plus side, you have resources available to you and you can look stuff up :) Although you cannot do this on a test, in practice, the answer's floating around somewhere. you just have to find it.

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I'm almost through my first clinical rotation; killing me to feel

i have to be perfect. I know perfection is not attainable. I'm doing great in my program with a A. I need to find time to destress and detox to breathe ......any suggestions? Hard to sleep....let go of my thoughts.... Thanks!

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